The Past Week in Pictures

I'm behind on blogging, but dinner preparations are awaiting my attention and the kids are a little cantankerous today. So be happy with what you get!

Ok, maybe I'm a little cantankerous today too. =P

My mom came to visit last week while Kevin was off to western Maryland hunting deer. We took the kids to a Harvest party at church.


Poor Liam's dinosaur hat kept falling in his eyes.

I snapped a shot of Nana reading to Liam that reminded me of one almost two years ago. I think Natalie was just about the same age. So CUTE!

Liam in 2009

Natalie in 2007

Captain Underpants

I pulled out the Elmo undies to entice her yesterday morning. She decided she would wear them...

on the OUTSIDE of her clothing.

Poor kid's head is still healing. We're crossing our fingers for a boo-boo free week!

2 1/2 Months

Liam,

How you've changed so much in the first 2 and half months. To think you're almost 3 months...where has the time gone?

You're SUCH a happy baby, cooing when you're held and SUCH a good sleeper at night. I think you're going to be social like your sister. You're definitely not content to hang out by yourself on the activity mat or in the swing if we aren't right there by you. You absoultely love the bath - which is a good thing because the rolls on your legs and neck can get pretty rank with all the milk that gets stuck there.

You seem to love your big sister almost as much as she loves you. It didn't even bother you last week when she almost pulled you all the way out of your swing and dropped you on your head on the tile floor of the kitchen. Thank goodness I stopped her in time because your forehead would have been flattened and you would have had to deal with caveman jokes the rest of your life.

Buddy Bear, it's a good thing you're 15 pounds because you're going to need some bulk to play with this rough and tumble little sister of yours. This is the same girl who's passing down to you her pink bumbo seat (that you are ROCKING, by the way) and all of her baby toys (which she's decided that she's not QUITE done playing with - especially when they're in YOUR hands).

Liam, you make me smile every day.

I look forward to watching you grow up and get taller than me and take on the world. But for now, I'm content to nestle you close to me, watch you flash me a dimpled, toothless grin and fall asleep (snoring) on my chest.

You rock my world, little guy.

Love,
Mama

Oh My Word...

Last night Natalie and I were playing a game called "Chase you" that she begs for us to play every night. Liam and I were chasing her through the kitchen, into the living room, through the dining room and then into the kitchen again. We all were jogging pretty slow and she would stop and giggle when Liam and I caught up to her and then she'd get tickled. Then (out of nowhere) she tripped and did a head dive into the corner of the wall in the kitchen right on her forehead.

Completely bust it open.
I about DIED.

My neighbor (a doctor) looked at it (the second injury she's been called for this week) and said we didn't need stitches. And, although she said I didnt need to, I got up several times last night to just check on Natalie and make sure she was still breathing. Thankfully, she's fine.

Arghh!! I'm feeling quite the range of emotions right now:

- Terrible (as a mom). I burst into tears myself last night. Seeing her banged up breaks my heart.
- Hopeful (that the clumsy stage is merely a stage and ALMOST over). I'm rethinking signing her up for rec center ballet next year.
- Leery (of letting her do anything where a helmet/kneepads/etc aren't involved).
- Frustrated (three times in one week? what must the neighbors think???)
- Exhausted

They need some sort of air-bag clothing for toddlers that inflates upon impact to protect them. Hmm... maybe I'll invent that. I'd like to think she's learning to be more careful after all the tumbles, but the fact that she asked for the "chase you" game not quite 15 minutes after the head dive last night has me thinking she doesn't quite get it. OR that I'm going to be on a first name basis with the ER nurses.

And here I thought that I'd be spending most of my visits to the E.R. with Liam. After all, isn't it boys that are supposed to be the reckless ones?

Mother Of the Week Award

No, I'm not the winner. In fact, I think I came in last place. My daughter fell off a couch and we had a visit to the E.R. at the beginning of the week. And just TODAY she tripped while playing in this tent and bit almost all the way through her lip.



Do I get a gold star? I seriously turned my back for 20 seconds this time.

Thankfully I didnt have to take her BACK to the E.R. and explain to the doctors why we had TWO incidents in one week.

I swear, cuts in your mouth and on your head have the habit of bleeding WAAAAAAY more than is necessary and freaking every mom out that her child is probably dying or will need major surgery. Thankfully, as fast as the bloody faucet turned on it seemed to stop (with the help of some ice and a popsicle).

Liam helped cheer her up and told some jokes. (Okay, maybe not really, but it DOES look like he's thinking something funny here.)


It looks like it may have worked...



Lately I've been feeling a lot of guilt for putting chores ahead of spending time with her. This afternoon was my attempt at reconciling that so we could spend some quality time together. Argghhh!! I guess you could title my afternoon "Spend Quality Time with Your Daughter: FAIL!".

Who Needs Reality TV When You've Got a Front Row Seat?

This morning as I was getting ready to head out the door I heard someone pounding loudly on a neighbors door and lots of shouting. It sounded like a fight. The whole thing was strange, and totally out of place for this sleepy little street.

I went to the window and my mouth literally dropped open. 15-20 DEA agents were standing outside of the door to my neighbors house and one was shouting for them to "open up!". I watched them kick down my neighbors door and swarm inside.

Whoa...Was this really happening right in front of my house???

The neighbors weren't home (which was probably good as they have two little kids). This was something I hadn't expected to see on our street. Or at this family's house.

Needless to say we high-tailed it out of there. Good grief!

And I know what you're thinking, but we don't live in the ghetto... I swear!


Here's a shot after the swarm. Most of the officers are inside. Kevin told me to snap as many pictures as I could. He was dying that he wasn't there to see it first hand!

Climber

Natalie has been climbing a bit more. And with that comes a bit more anxiety for me.

Just yesterday I walked into her room after her nap to find her stark naked and hanging from the side of her crib. Umm... seriously? I'm going to have to start duct taping her diapers. Fortunately there wasn't anything disgusting in the diaper this time to smear around the crib. It did still warrant a wash of all of the bed clothes though.

And then last night she was climbing on the couch and apparently lost her footing - because we had to make a trip to the E.R. I suppose I thought my first trip with the kids wouldn't be until they had enrolled in team sports, but, hey, who can predict these things?

I'd been having a nice quiet evening at home with the kids. I was trying a new recipe (chicken enchiladas) and Natalie was sitting comfortably on the couch watching Ni Hao Kai-lan (one of her favorites). Liam was swinging away in his travel swing just about ready for dinner. All of the sudden (as I'm cooking) I heard a big thump and then a cry. I rushed in to check on her and she was on her side on the wooden floor. Mind you there's a big area rug in front of the couch (we're talking 8x10), but she must have been climbing on the side of the couch because she managed to miss it. I checked her over (apparently not very well) and she seemed fine. We cuddled for a minute and she was still "crying" but there were no tears. I coaxed her to stop crying and headed back for the kitchen.

It's only when she followed me a minute or so later and I tried to divert her whines with milk that I realized something might be wrong. Poor kid couldn't even lift her milk cup with her dominant hand (her left). Ugg...

Our neighbor (a doctor) recommended we take her in for an xray and fortunately took Liam for me (Kevin was at a wedding). So off we went.

I tell ya, Emergency Rooms are not very urgent. Maybe if you come in on an ambulance. But when I drove up to the drop off door there were several emergency vehicles (with their lights off) blocking the one-way drive. I sat for about 10 minutes waiting for them to clear. I can't imagine what I would have done if she was having trouble breathing or something more serious. Fortunately the hospital we went to had a pediatric ER so at least we were segregated from the rest of the ER patients and (I think) had a shorter wait time.

After an x-ray and a look by the doctor, it was determined Natalie had Nursemaids Elbow (or a dislocated elbow). They popped it back in place and hopefully any bruising will heal in the next couple days.

Meanwhile she's not really using it much. So maybe that means I'll have a few days of naptime peace with no duct tape required. We'll see...

Discouraged

I'm pretty discouraged about the whole potty-training thing. It hasn't gone well. I mean, it's been a battle. One that I'm too tired to wage tonight. That's why she's in a pull-up right now.

I've cleaned up poop off the floor and big puddles of pee pee and I'm left wondering if maybe she's just not ready. I've tried bribing (with money and big girl undies). I've also tried reverse psychology. I think that I am more ready than she is. So unless I get a burst of energy tomorrow I might be throwing in the towel and waiting another 4 months or so.

Meanwhile, I'd like to suggest the past two days of following Natalie around as a possible episode of Dirty Jobs. Mike Rowe, look out!